FDA sends closure notice to restaurant that allegedly served dead rat in chicken curry

After the news of a dead rat being found in a dish ordered at a restaurant in Mumbai grabbed headlines on August 16, Mumbai police took cognisance of the matter and registered a case under sections 272 (adulteration), 336 (endangering human life due to negligence) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and arrested the restaurant manager and two chefs. Later the chefs were released on bail. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also taken action against the restaurant.

A Sunday night dinner outing at a restaurant in Mumbai’s Bandra went horribly wrong for Anurag and Amin. The diners reportedly found a dead rat in the dish they had ordered at the restaurant. The diners had ordered two dishes - bhuna gosht and a chicken curry. But to their utter shock, the diners spotted the dead rat in the chicken curry. The diners confronted the hotel staff and a verbal spat ensued between the customers and the hotel manager. 

Amin Khan, one of the diners, posted a picture of the dish with the dead rat on X and urged Mumbai police to take action against the hotel. Following this, Bandra police registered an FIR in the matter. 

FDA Joint Commissioner Santosh Adhav, while speaking to Republic, confirmed that a notice of closure has been served to the hotel by FDA and the eatery has been served an order to cease operations with immediate effect. Adhav said, "We have sent a closure notice to the hotel and have asked it to stop operations immediately. We have taken samples of their food items and sent them for a lab test. We are awaiting the reports of the test. Police have already initiated actions in this matter, and we are also taking necessary steps.”